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J. B. H. GUEST.

MEANS FOR STABILIZING'AND CONTROLLING THE FLIGHT OF AERIAL MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JULY I8 I918.

latvntvdJilly-'29, 1919.

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JOHN B. H. GUEST, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR OF STARK AND ONE-FOURTH TO GRACE M. GUEST, BOTH OF SAN NIA.

MEANS FOR STABILIZING AND CONTROLLING THE FLIGH Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 18, 1918. Serial No. 245,520.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN B. H. Gnnsr, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Stabilizing and Controlling the Flight of Aerial Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a means for stabilizing and controlling the flight of a flying machine of any kind. Although primarily intended for this purpose the device has also sustaining qualities which are independent of forward movement of the machine and may therefore be applied to sustain a machine stationary in the air.v

The device is based on the physical print ciple that a tapered spindle, circular in cross if rapidly rotated in air, will not only, by its gyroscopic action, resist deviation of it from the direction of its movement, but has a lifting or sustaining property. Owing to its tapered form such a. spindle will tend to about a center toward which the thinner end of the spindle is directed, so that if two of such spindles project from opposite sides of the middle line of the flying machine, the machine will be steadied in its flight, its sustaining qualities will be increased and the direction of its flight may be controlled if the speed of rotation of one spindle be varied in relation to the other, as the machine will turn toward the side on which is the spindle having the less speed of rotation.

I am unable to explain why a spindle so shaped and so rotated has these properties but have demonstrated by practical experiment that such is the case.

The application of this principle to attain the desired objects is explained as fully as I am at present able to do in the following specification, reference being made to the drawin s by which it is accompanied, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation with parts of the covering removed showing the structure of a spindle.

Fig. 2 is a cross section of the same.

Fig. 3, an end view of the spindle, and

Fig. at is a plan showing a. means for independently rotating the spindle stabilizer and control on each side of a flying machine.

Fig. 5 isan enlarged detail view showing swing in a wide circle ONE-HALF TO ROBERT S.

FRANCISCO, CALIFOR- '1 OF AERIAL MACHINES.

Patented July 29, 1919.

a shiftable friction clutch l2 for independently controlling the rotation of the master cars 14.

In these drawings cross section and tapered 2 represents the preferred form of spindle which is circular in gradually larger from the end 3 which is connected to the machine and its rotating mechanism,

the outer or free end +1: where slightly reduced in diameter. profile does not appear to be long as it has the outwardly toward it is again The exact material. so

enlargin u per. This spindle 2 may be of any suitable material and be solid or complies with the requirements and avoids excessive weight.

should be free from relatively rough,

hollow so long as it of strength The surface flutes or flats and be or at least not polished. Its sustaining properties are increased if a series of lengthwise elongatedpockcts 5 are projected radially into the body of the spindle,

be rounded or angular, as shown in the bottom of which pockets may Fig. 2.

These pockets 5 are staggered in relation to one another.

The buoyant action of the rotating spindle is also increased slightly by the addition of a flexibletip 6 at the extreme outer end.

This tip may be made by a ring of thin, flat,

flexible metal members, inserted radially as shown in Fig. 3, in the larger spindle and parallel to its axis.

In the preferred construction 2 is built upon the steel shaft it is connected to the This shaft 7 may for and may be successively reduced machine and rotated. lightness be tubular end of the the spindle 7 by which in diameter from the end 3 which is connected to the machine and to the rotating agency,

of the spindle. shaft are secured the outer or larger end i At intervals on this toward disks 8 of wood or other suitable material and from a collar at the smaller end 3. a

series of wires 9 are carried lengthwise over the edges of the disks 8 which are 00 notched to receive them and are made fast to the larger end i. Over the framework thus formed a covering 10 of wood veneer or other suitable material having a relatively rough surface is applied,

care being taken to maintain the circular cross section.

Over this covering 10 wires wrapped to resist the action of force on it during rotation.

if a spindle so constructed 11 may be centrifugal is rotated iio rapidly, it will not only have a property of inertia resisting any external disturbing influence but if carried forward it will tend to move the body it is connected to in a wide circle about the smaller end of. the spindle.

In applying it as a stabilizer to a flying machine two or more of them are projected to opposite sides from the middle line 15 of the machine with the larger end outward, as shown in Fig. 4, and means is provided for independently rotating them at a high velocity with their undersides moving'in the direction of flight. Their shafts are preferably connected to the machine that their outer ends may move upward a limited amount from the horizontal before they can exert a lifting tendency on the body of the machine to which they are applied. This enables them to attain their speed of rotation before their lifting tendency is exerted, so that while at rest their axes are horizontal, but they will in use assume an angle some what as indicated by the dot and dash lines in Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 of the drawing shows the shaft 7 of the spindles 2 as mounted in connected bearings 16 which are concentrically movable about the shaft 12, which may be the propeller shaft of the machine or acountershaft driven therefrom. These bearings 16 are concentrically movable within a frame 13 to alloweach side a limited angular movement upward, as indicated by the dot andtlash lines '17 in Fig. 1, and they are independently driven from the shaft 12 by bevel gears 14 having the same speed ratio, but the'bevel-Wheels being turned on the shaft 12 to engage opposite sides ofthe bevel pinions secured on the shaft 7 of the spindles 2 will independently rotate those spindles in the same direction with their undersides moving in the direction 7 of flight.

The bevel wheels are free on the shaft 12 and are secured to rotate therewith by a friction clutch adjacent each, so that either one or both spindles may be rotated as desired. do not desire to be confined to the exact construction of the spindle as here described and illustrated, nor to any particular means for rotating the same, as such may be'varied within wide limits to meet the requirement of the aerial machine to which it is applied. Although designed as a means for stabilizing and controlling the direction of flight of an aerial machine, the device, having sustaining qualities as described, may be susceptible of application to copies of this patent may be a flying machine to suppleobtained for five cents each, by addressing the ment the vanes in sustaining the machine and I desire protection in such application.

Having now particularly described my invention, I hereby declare that what I claim as new and desire to be protected in by Letters Patent, is: l

1. A means for stabilizing and controlling the flight of an aerial machine, said means comprising elongated pindles oppositely projecting from each side of the middle line of the machine in a substantially horizontal plane, and means for rapidly independently rotating the spindles to move their undersides in the direction of flight.-

2. A means for stabilizing and controlling the flight of an aerial machine, said means comprising elongated spindles oppositely projecting from each side of the middle line of the machine in a substantially horizontal plane, said spindles having lengthwise elongated pockets projected within them, and means for rapidly rotating the spindles to move their undersides in the direction of flight.

3. A means for stabilizing and controlling the flight of an aerial machine, said means comprising elongated spindles oppositely projecting from each side of the middle line of the machine in a substantially horizontal plane, said spindles having flexible tip-s composed of independently flexible and resilient strips of thin, flat metal secured around the free end of each spindle parallel to its axis, and means for rapidly rotating the spindles to move their undersides in the direction of flight.

4. A means for stabilizing and controlling the flight of an aerial machine, said means comprising elongated conical spindles oppositely pro ecting from each side of-the middle line of the machine in a substantially horizontal plane, and means for independently rotating the spindles to move the undersides of them in the direction of flight.

5. A means for stabilizing and controlling the, flight of an aerial machine, said means comprising elongated conical spindles oppositely projecting fromeach side of the middle line of, the machine in a substantially horizontal plane, the smaller-end of each spindle being connected to the machine, and means for independently rotating the spindles in the same direction with their undersides moving in the direction of flight.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOHN- B. GUEST.

Commissioner of Patents,

Waahington, D, 0. 

